Maintaining the biological diversity and ecosystem services of natural forests requires not only the prevention of their conversion to agriculture or plantations, but also the use of specifically chosen harvesting practices. Variable retention forestry (VRF) is based upon the concept of retaining structural elements of the harvested stand for at least the next rotation in order to achieve specific management objectives.

This thematic series aims to cover the outcomes of variable retention management and conservation proposals in natural forests around the world, also incorporating social and economic perspectives. The Editors of this series encourage the submission of long-term research outcomes and studies of large-scale implementation by private and government forest companies.

Suggested topics for submission include, but are not limited to, the following:

State-of-the-art syntheses of VRF and identification of indicators for the sustainable management and monitoring

Socio-economic needs and consequences of VRF implementation, including the provision of ecosystem services

Implementation of VRF in the framework of local and national legislations

Submission instructions

Deadline for submissions: 01 February 2019

Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have carefully read the Submission Guidelines for Ecological Processes. The complete manuscript should be submitted through the Ecological Processessubmission system. To ensure that you submit to the correct thematic series please select the appropriate section in the drop-down menu upon submission. In addition, indicate within your cover letter that you wish your manuscript to be considered as part of the thematic series on 'Ecological Perspectives on Variable Retention Forestry'. All submissions will undergo rigorous peer review and accepted articles will be published within the journal as a collection.